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Today's Show:
Our recent discussion about the Digital Television transition prompted a few emails asking about emergency preparedness and how the loss of analog TV transmission would affect consumers in the event of a natural (or manmade) disaster. This prompted the following email from one of our listeners (Brady Darvin):
I looked all over the Internet for more info on portable TVs with ATSC tuners and found none, but I did find this very interesting and recent article about an entirely new mobile TV standard that could make the need for a portable TV with an ATSC tuner obsolete, and thought you might be interested in looking more into this new standard and perhaps discussing on a future podcast on the subject of “mobile home theater! See http://www.omvc.org/ for more info.
But first, a quick review...
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35A 10.1MP Digital Camera (
Street Price $290 Buy Now)
We know this is a show about HDTV and Home Theater so why are we talking about a Digital Camera. Well from time to time we do talk about HD Camcorders and this camera has a very cool feature, it records HD video. Today's discussion will only be about this aspect of the camera. We'll leave the full review to podcasts that focus on digital photography.
The FX35 records video in standard definition 4:3 (with various resolutions) and in HD 16:9. It also supports 16:9 DVD quality. The video is recorded to an SD memory card which is not included. For our test we bought an 8GB card for $35. The 8GB card supports eight and a half minutes of 720p 30fps (which is the highest quality) video. DVD quality roughly doubles the time.
The video quality is quite good considering it was shot on a camera that costs less than $300. The audio however leaves a lot to be desired. It could just be luck of the draw. We have heard that some camera microphones sound great and others sound pretty bad. Still camera manufacturers do not want to spend any money calibrating the mic so its hit and miss if the mic will work well.
We have posted a
link to a recording that was shot with the camera. The 1:42 second video clip is 720p 30 FPS and it has been compressed to 2.6 Mbps. The file size is 32MB. The original video is also 720p 30 FPS but it has a data rate of 24 Mbps and weighs in at 298 MB. After shooting and playing with the video in iMovie we may just start putting some videos together from time to time.
Mobile Digital TV Standard
The following is taken from their website:
The Open Mobile Video Coalition is an alliance of U.S. commercial and public broadcasters committed to the development of mobile digital television. The Coalition's current members include leading broadcast station groups operating over 420 commercial television stations. Their mission is to accelerate the development of mobile digital broadcast television, and capture the full potential of the digital television spectrum in the United States. The coalition will help identify and encourage broad adoption of technologies that enable mobile reception of digital broadcast television signals, so that consumers can watch television wherever and whenever they want, not just in the home.
What is mobile digital video?
As it pertains to the coalition, mobile digital video is an enhancement to the existing terrestrial digital television system that allows a high quality digital video signal to be received by a moving receiver, either at pedestrian or vehicular speeds.
Why can't I get mobile digital video today?
The terrestrial digital television system was designed to maximize broadcast coverage to fixed locations in homes, and, as such, cannot yet support mobile reception. New technologies are now emerging that allow the current system to add mobile reception without sacrificing in-home coverage, and the Coalition's goal is to accelerate the commercialization and standardization of these new technologies.
Will I be able to get HDTV in a mobile environment?
It is anticipated that mobile digital video will allow for a very high quality picture to be received in a mobile environment, but since mobile receivers have small screens, there will not be a need to broadcast HDTV to a mobile device.
What kind of content will be available?
It is expected that there will be a wide variety of content available for mobile video, including many of the same programs that are available at home today, but the specific content will be decided only when the service is commercialized. In addition, users may be able to access weather, traffic and public safety information.
Will the content be free or will I have to pay?
It is expected that mobile digital video technology will support both free ad-supported and pay models, but the specific business models will be decided when the service is commercialized.
What kinds of devices will it work in?
Most video-capable devices can receive mobile digital video by adding a receiver module to the device. Video-capable devices in the market today include cell phones, video-capable MP3 players, laptop computers, portable game players, digital cameras and camcorders, portable DVD players, personal navigation devices and in-car entertainment systems, among others.
Why is the digital television spectrum better than other spectrum for mobile video?
The digital television spectrum is ideally suited for video because its signals travel long distances, penetrate walls well, can be easily received in a fast moving vehicle, and require only a small antenna. Spectrum that allows signals to travel farther typically require antennas too large for mobile devices, and spectrum that allows for a smaller antenna typically have less range and are more difficult to receive in moving vehicles.
Will broadcasters have to choose between offering HD and mobile television?
The new technologies will allow broadcasters to transmit HD signals to homes as well as to mobile devices. Each broadcaster will have the flexibility to make its own decision about which services to offer on its signal.
So there is still a little ways to go but in the near future in the even of an emergency we will be able to tune into public broadcasts no matter where we are using devices we already carry. Of course you'll need one that supports mobile digital video. We have extended an invitation to the group to come on the show to talk a bit more about the subject.
